Thursday, December 29, 2016

Former MP chief minister Sunderlal Patwa who passed away in Bhopal, was a veteran politician who had started his political life with Jan Sangh.Known for his simplicity, Patwa, belonged to the generation of early Jan Sangh leaders who struggled for decades and fought Congress hegemony for long,before they managed to attain power.After death everything is 'sanitised', it seems. In obituaries writers and journalists have written about Patwa-ji.But the fact that he presided over the worst communal riots in MP, is nowhere mentioned. It's time for euologies! But along with positive aspects, other important facts can't be ignored. No one seems to remember that during Sundarlal Patwa regime Bhopal and Ujjain saw the most deadly communal riots in state's history in which hundreds perished..The year was 1992-93. Centre dismissed Patwa government. Many people in those days hinted at Congress hand. But the fact remains that MP had never seen such devastation and killings in riots.Till then Bhopal was an island of peace and there was never a riot in this city. The official figure of deaths in Bhopal riot was nearly 150. Yes, blame Congress elements' involvement or BJP workers' role but how this fact gets ignored...not even in passing mention amid the glowing tributes for the 'saint politician'. Responsibility of Rajiv Gandhi 1984, Sudhakar Rao Naik 1992, Modi 2002...Praise is fine but to whitewash everything? No. You may be powerful and may rule but it doesn't mean that everything will be whitewashed. Riot taint remains.Patwa didn't like 'outsider' Narendra Modi's interference. Patwa resented Modi's style of functioning when latter was charge of MP affairs. Ensured 'Aghoshit boycott' by the local BJP, says this report.

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